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Summary: Human Evil - A mirror of my childhood
Review: I was recommended to read this book by a friend. I'm not one for theology/religion books so, I admit, I skipped those parts. But the case studies in this book are phenomenal. This book would be great for anyone who had 'evil parents'. I related easily to this book and profile in the case studies. Sometimes, you think he's discussing your family. Now, I wouldn't recommend this book to someone who had a wonderful childhood, you won't understand it. But as I said, anyone who was mentally abused by their parents should read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Important work; misses the mark
Review: Author M. Scott Peck takes on an extremely important subject: developing a psychology of evil. Much of this is ground breaking, instructive, and tremendously important. However, his analysis is flawed by perceptible weaknesses. Peck shares early on that his is a Christian world view and that it is with this world view that he perceives his clinical world. Then he utterly betrays this world view, as he describes his own consumption of alcohol and his serious contemplation of an adulterous affair with a female patient. Further, he describes, or rather, hints at, the events surrounding two exorcisms. My suspicion is that if he was indeed involved in an exorcism and truly encountered Satan, he probably was found out in the worst imaginable way. This is to say that many folks who claim liberal Christian theology, including ordained clergy, are not truly indwelt with the Spirit of the Living God. It seems pretty clear from Peck's writing that he has been half stepping his way through theological issues. If my suspicions are true, I can imagine that the encounter with Satan was, shall we say, most unpleasant. I wouldn't want to write about it explicitly either, unless I was wise enough to change my ways as a result of the learning experience. And I further suspect from Peck's writings that he's probably too egotistical to admit this. The narrative is also terribly weak in the area of his description of the My Lai incident. A child of wealthy East Coast parents who saw Army duty as a doctor, Peck seems to have assimilated the self righteous attitude of the East Coast establishment with respect to the rank and file of the rest of America. This attitude is as offensive to Americans of humble beginnings as it is rediculous. Following this, Mr. Peck treats us to his ultimate view of a Fabian socialist utopia. Again, this an easy world view to support from a mansion in the posh East Coast. It is much less easy to support from America's heartland. Having said all that, the book does have good information. Had he spared us his pretentious attitudes and seriously flawed world views, it could have been excellent.
Rating: 
Summary: What's Really In This World
Review: This book gave me a slap in the face. I had never really looked at "EVIL PEOPLE" before. It showed how many different kinds of people are very insecure and selfish, and how some will do anything to others to make themselves feel better. I would recommed everyone read this book and you'll look a little more closely at your family and friends and the people around you and you'll see that some people are truly evil and some are made that way by truly evil poeple. Watch your back and choose your friends wisely and DO NOT read the part about posession, and the father of the lies at night or you'll get nightmares. Have Fun! :)
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Summary: Thought provoking and entertaining
Review: Don't even consider buying this book if you haven't read the author's first book "The road less traveled." This is a sequel to that book and a lot of the notions and concepts discussed here were established in the first book. Besides, the author, M. Scott Peck, introduces many controversial suggestions in this book, and most of his findings are either shocking or, at least, unusual. Only by reading the first book you will establish the respect and admiration of the author's wisdom and intellect necessary to hear out his out of the ordinary ideas."The road less traveled" is a psychological study of love and of human spiritual growth, or in other words, the good side of humanity. This book is a follow up to that study. It is only logical that when you study the light that you wonder about the darkness. However, human evil is a concept totally alien to the science of psychiatry. Besides, as the author himself admits, using the term "Evil" can be an act of evilness itself! It is also highly risky to approach the flames of evilness without catching up on its fires yourself! With these precautions Dr. Peck begins a fantastic book in the study of human evil through the eyes of psychiatry. The book begins by telling in detail the story of one of his patients who seemed to be a happy man leading a very normal and healthy life. However, as he carries on, we start realizing along with Dr. Peck that evil was staring the man in every corner of his life, hiding in his problems and even among his family members! It is by the end of the story we realize that this normal person literally did sell his soul to the devil! How did this happen? How can one sell his soul to the devil? Does the devil even exist? With these questions Dr. Peck dives into the study of evil in human beings. Dr. Peck claims that evil does exist, but it's neither incurable nor unavoidable! And the only way to combat evil is to admit to its existence and to recognize its danger. How can you fight something that you don't even believe is true, he says. Dr. Peck explains why scientists dismiss the idea of the existence of evil and how that is caused by their limited perception of what science stands for. He then carries on by giving examples of some of the cases he had to deal with where he allegedly met with the human evil. And in one chapter he dedicates it wholly to one story of one of his clients whom he failed to heal after more than 5 years of therapy because he didn't have the knowledge or the courage to admit that it was evil that she was suffering from. Later on he explains a different manifestation of evil that he terms as "The group evil." He explains that evil can be present in a group even if all of its members were not individually evil! The end of the book talks about the dangers and the hopes of creating a science that studies evil. Once I finished the book, I had even more respect for Dr. Peck than I ended up with after reading his first book. Dr. Peck's writing style is pleasant and easy to comprehend. And his story telling techniques are exciting as well as thought provoking. By reading this book you will definitely have so many thoughts to ponder on for many days whether you agree with the author's findings or not. By reading this book you will definitely add intellectual, and possibly moral, value to yourself, and will probably find it highly entertaining at the same time. I totally recommend buying this book. Nevertheless I have one serious reservation about this book, and it's in Chapter 5, which is titled "Of possession and exorcism." In that chapter the author takes one hell of a detour and starts talking about his personal investigation of the myth of possession and the alleged healing practice of exorcism. The shocking finding he throws in your face is that both are true and that he personally witnessed two exorcism procedures, one of which was a possession by Satan himself! And even though I try my best to remain an open minded person by being receptive of every point of view out there, I can't accept such an outrageous claim if not accompanied with evidence and reason. The author's attitude in that particular chapter, surprisingly atypical of him, was very vague and unclear. He claims that the two exorcism experiences he went through were intense and that to give them justice would require that a whole separate book be written about them. Hence, he would only give us the impressions and resolutions he came out with from those experiences. I, in my humble opinion, find that argument fallible! I don't think that anyone would've minded adding 200 more pages to that chapter just to hear those stories! Besides, if he truly thought that they deserve a book of their own then how come he never wrote one? I am mostly surprised because he never failed to extend proof and reason whenever he's presenting an unusual thought. This time it was very different though. By the time I reached the end of that chapter I felt that I was totally deceived by the author and that he did not deserve the respect I had for him. However, once I started the following chapter, he gained back my respect of him and more immediately! I don't know what to think of chapter 5 and whether I prefer that I didn't read it or not. But, as I said previously, this book including chapter 5 will leave you thinking whether you agree with its findings or not. I recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: A needed inquiry that failed to live up to its premise
Review: A psychological exploration of evil is something that we need to look into further. Obviously, labels like "anti-social personality disorder" don't go all the way in explaining the actions of some people. But Peck, despite some interesting insights, tends to see things in black and white. In the chapter about the "man who made a pact with the devil" he seems to feel that either this pact was a moral dilemma, or it was a symptom of the man's neurosis. I don't see why it can't be both at once. Peck's Christian biases lead him to oversimplify. While a Christian perspective is useful in discussing evil, it is certainly not the only alternative to science. Peck makes an important point in observing that the traditionally separate areas of religion-vs.-science or natural-vs.-supernatural are drawing closer together; and that scientific inquiry is useful in religion, and some elements of religion are necessary in dealing with science. But it's hard to stay with him when shortly after this point, he distinguishes between human evil (murder, etc.) and "natural" evil, such as the destruction caused by fires, floods and earthquakes. Um...hello? Acts of nature are inherently neither good nor evil, and it's childish to view them as such. For someone who seems to define evil primarily as cowardice, he avoids a lot of questions that his theory might have problems answering. I give him two stars for being willing to ask the question.
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Summary: A new stereotype for the definition of evil.
Review: This book has some vauable insights: that the source of "evil" is lying, a refusal to self reflect, and narcissism, but I believe the term "evil" is frighteningly simplistic. For true healing to take place, judgement must be suspended. If a therapist judges a person as evil, whether it be the client or the client's parent, I cannot see how the client can be helped. If the purpose of this book is to protect oneself against evil by being able to define and recognize it, then it only serves to encourage closed thinking.
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Summary: Provocative, debate-stirring, and important...
Review: Twenty years ago, Scott Peck wrote this follow-up to his mega-selling "The Road Less Traveled". Both are worth reading, not because any one reader will agree with all of Scott's opinions, but because he found a style and vocabulary that helps ordinary folk better understand human behavior, those who study it, and those who try to help people change their own. This one takes a look at some attitudes and behaviors Peck chooses to label as "evil"...now overused, perhaps, by President Bush in response to the terror attacks on America, but back in 1983 a word that was used much more cautiously. I have owned the book since about 1985 and I've read it about four times. I work as a domestic violence prevention counselor, so it helps me professionally to dip into it at regular intervals. Even if your own career has little to do with therapy, you'll be encountering some folks like the ones Peck describes. There are lazy, narcissistic, deceptive personalities in all walks of life, and a thoughtful reading of this book will help you recognize the type before you get hurt by one. I don't agree with all of Peck's beliefs about evil, or his conclusions...but most of them are reasonable, and all of them worth discussing.
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Summary: Well intended, but surprisingly childish
Review: Though I greatly respect Dr. Peck's medical credentials and obvious good intentions, the level of thinking and writing in this book is astonishingly childish. Peck associates evil with narcissism and laziness. No problem in that, per se, but evil very often doesn't result from them. Moreover, "evil" is a definitional concept, not an independent reality. Thus, one person's evil often is another's heroic religious act -- which brings us to the issue of religion. Peck's conceptual framework for "understanding" evil is complicated and confused by his Christian viewpoint. Of course, Christians regard this viewpoint as reality, which is part of the confusion. Joan of Arc was burned as "evil" by Christian clergy. Women in Salem, Mass. were also burned by Christians who confused definitional concepts with reality. Jehovah's slaughter of many women and children in the Old Testament, and additional carnage during the Crusades, are defined as holy or evil depending on whose side you're on. Peck fails childishly at sorting out such matters because of his specific religious viewpoint which is seen as reality, leaving him not fully aware of other more sensible explanations of the behaviors he describes. And it is simply disgusting that a contemporary educated man can take seriously an ancient superstition such as exorcism. All that said, there is value in the book in that it stimulates thought and dialogue about an important subject.
Rating:
Summary: Very Important Work
Review: Peck's overview of Evil in the modern world is one of the best Christian works I have read in the last 15 years. Both enlightening and frightening, I 've given this to several people who also put it among their favorites. Makes ya think!
Rating:
Summary: Powerful book, full of insights and wisdom
Review: This is a powerful book. I mentioned it to a friend and she said, "Yes, I read that book many years ago and I still remember it. Just thinking about it gives me the shivers." I read it cover to cover in 2-days time. Peck defines evil as a combination of narcissism and laziness. Evil people will destroy those around them before bearing any introspection or self-reproach. They blame the people around them for all their problems and refuse to look inwardly. A wife-beater is a good example. A man, beating his wife will yell, "Look what you make me do to you!" - always placing blame on his wife, rather than himself. Evil people cannot bear the pain of self-reproach. This book should be a must read for people who are recovering from abusive relationships. It's very, very potent stuff. In fact, at times, I found it *difficult* to read. Several times, I stopped reading the book and prayed the Lord's Prayer, focusing on this line: "Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil." I also stopped and read the 91st Psalm. Evil has only the power we give it, but there is something in this book that exposes evil in a way that makes one want to cling more tenaciously to God and the love-filled promises in His word. This is not a book for the faint-hearted or the spiritually insecure. It's for the mature believer, IMHO. Peck also makes the point that the evil people in this world are often the ones who LOOK like the best people. "White walled sepulchres, full of all uncleanliness." A good book, but keep your Bible close at hand.
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